Tea-licious!

The ancient Chinese knew tea first as a tonic and incorporated the leaves and the resulting infusions into cooking. They smoked duck over tea, added tea to broths, and stuffed fish with tea leaves before baking or roasting. Now, as more and more Americans are discovering the pleasures — and nutritional benefits — of drinking good tea, cutting-edge chefs and home cooks around the country are also bringing tea into their kitchens, discovering tea and food affinities in a variety of dishes.

The utmost in simplicity, tea is water and leaves. But when the water is pure and the leaves are premium quality, wonderful mouth-filling flavors can result from that potent combination. Tea, without calories, fat, sodium or cholesterol, is the perfect seasoning. From complex and bold to subtle and delicate, the flavor profiles of tea are amazingly diverse. Brewed in water or other liquids, tea can be a mellowing addition to a simple sauté of scallops, the basis for a bracing sauce or the basting liquid for a roasted chicken. A brisket of beef, long braised in tea, emerges tender, taking on a whole new dimension of dusky, deep flavor.

Advertisement

Tea, like vegetables, contains high levels of plant compounds called flavonoids, which are known to have antioxidant properties. (Studies show that halting the oxidation process in your body helps prevent the formation of cancer-inducing substances in body cells.) Unlike most Westerners, Asians have long enjoyed drinking tea regularly, and some studies have tied that habit to a reduced incidence of certain types of cancers and heart disease.

From the grassy freshness of a green tea (reputedly rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants) to the delicate savor of an oolong or the boldness of a black Yunnan or Keemun, tea offers a wondrously diverse palette of flavors that infuse easily into foods. All it takes is a good source of premium whole leaf tea (the bagged varieties are a pale imitation of the real thing), a timer to keep track of how long the leaves have been steeping and a thermometer to be sure you are not “burning” the leaves. Soon, you’ll have a whole new way of enjoying tea.

Cold Tea Noodles

Serves 4

A perfect warm-weather dish. Keep cool by cooking the noodles in tea the night before serving. The next day, assemble the short list of ingredients, and dinner is on the table.

1. Bring two quarts water to 180° and add tea. Steep for 3 minutes and pour through a sieve. Reserve liquid for cooking the noodles.

2. Bring the reserved tea to a boil and add noodles. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until noodles are al dente. Remove from heat and allow the noodles to remain in the liquid until it has cooled. Remove noodles from liquid and place in a bowl, covered, overnight in the refrigerator.

3. The next day, put tofu on a plate and cover it with several layers of paper towels. Press any excess moisture from it by placing a two-pound weight on top of the paper towels.

4. Remove weight and paper toweling after 15 minutes. Carefully slice the tofu into 1-inch cubes and set aside.

5. Place noodles on four plates. Scatter tofu and remaining ingredients over all. Serve with soy sauce, sesame oil and seasoning.

1. Slice tofu horizontally into two rectangles of equal thickness. Wrap tofu in several paper towels. Set a two-pound weight on a sheet pan. Place this pan on the tofu for about a half-hour. Store tofu in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

2. Brew the tea and strain through a sieve. Pour the tea along with the soy, one crushed garlic clove, gingerroot and brown sugar in bowl large enough to accommodate the tofu without crushing it. Gently place the tofu in the liquid and allow to marinate at least one hour at cool room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Remove tofu from sauce, reserving the marinade. Dry the tofu well with paper towels. Heat a heavy skillet until hot. Add the olive oil and carefully place the tofu into the pan. (It may spatter, so stand back.) Cook for 5 minutes, turn and cook for another 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and keep warm while you cook the mushrooms.

The charm of this dish is its simplicity. What could be better than a chicken roasted to perfection, golden brown and crisp-skinned, when paired with a dusky, dark tea-based sauce? Serve this dish with wild rice, braised cabbage and mushrooms.

1. Bring water to a boil. Add tea leaves and allow to infuse for 3 minutes. Strain liquid through fine-meshed sieve into a bowl and return to saucepan. Add ginger, garlic, and vegetable stock, and return liquid to a boil. Remove from heat, discard the solids through a sieve, and reserve liquid.

2. Preheat oven to 450š. Salt and pepper chicken inside and out. Place chicken into roasting pan, pour about 1/2 cup of the brewed tea over it and roast until juices run clear, basting with tea mixture every 20 minutes or so.

3. When done, skim fat from liquid in pan. Remove chicken to a cutting board, carve into 8 pieces, and place on a platter to keep warm. Reduce basting liquid to coating consistency, adjusting seasoning as desired (this dish tastes great with a generous addition of pepper). Add sugar to taste.

4. Strain sauce in roasting pan through a fine-meshed sieve and place in a heated sauceboat. Serve immediately. We suggest such accompaniments as wild rice, sautéed portobello mushrooms and curly (Savoy) cabbage, as desired.

1. Peel the pears and core with a corer or a small paring knife, being sure to remove the tart center core area of each. Place the sugar, green tea, gingerroot, lemon peel and mint in a medium size saucepan large enough to hold the four pears in a single layer.

2. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to just under a boil, or until the sugar is fully dissolved. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the peeled and cored pears. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. The pears will remain firm. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate, covered. Meanwhile, make the Pistachio Cream Sauce.

Sign Up

About Delicious Living

For more than 30 years, delicious living has been a trusted voice online and in print for the natural health community. delicious living meets modern needs with contemporary natural health care methods and expert advice, covering everything from health trends to natural beauty to healthy cooking. It’s powered by North America’s largest natural health and wellness publisher: Alive Publishing Group.